GE Vernova partners with the U.S. government to bolster stocks of yttrium, a rare earth essential for gas turbines and high-temperature coatings. A sample of yttrium (Y) is displayed at the Laboratory of Physics and Material Studies (LPEM) in Paris on June 23, 2025. The move comes as export controls from China—the world’s primary supplier—have tightened supplies and triggered shortages across energy, aerospace, and semiconductors. GE Vernova, one of the few large gas turbine manufacturers, currently holds enough yttrium in inventory to cover the rest of 2025 and into the next year, though CEO Scott Strazik did not specify exact availability timelines. The company is exploring alternatives to substitute certain rare earths if needed, though that could involve trade-offs in cost or performance. Strazik emphasized at an investor day that the team is monitoring the situation daily and remains in a strong position for the near term, with opportunistic plans to add to inventories as opportunities arise. China’s export restrictions were imposed in April in response to U.S. tariffs, and despite a separate agreement between Washington and Beijing to streamline rare earth exports, users from aerospace to semiconductors report ongoing shortages and have seen prices outside China surge dramatically—up about 4,400% from January to November this year. The report is from Reuters, with coverage by Laila Kearney in New York and Lewis Jackson in Beijing, and editorial oversight by Muralikumar Anantharaman. The piece highlights the broader context of global supply risk for yttrium and related materials used in high-performance engines and protective coatings.
